Broadcaster Ahn Hyun-mo expressed deep condolences while recounting music critic Kim Young Dae's final journey.
On the 28th, Ahn Hyun-mo posted on her social media, "I never imagined the day would come when these words would come out of my mouth, let alone that it would come so soon…" paying tribute to the late Kim Young Dae, whose funeral rites had concluded. She said, "By now she may have already arrived in heaven and be eating something delicious, so even if it's hard to believe we should believe it," calmly expressing the sorrow of an unbelievable farewell.
She then brought up memories of the deceased one by one. Ahn Hyun-mo recalled, "She approached everyone she met with kindness and an open, unbiased mind, making others feel joyful and comfortable — a wonderful, witty and respected friend," and added, "Even though I, who am very shy, met her as an adult, we could talk about music, movies, small worries and ridiculous imaginings as if we were childhood classmates, forgetting age and gender — she was my closest friend."
She especially emphasized the deceased's affection for family. She said, "She was always excited to talk about his wife and i-dle, and this year, following the Christmas tradition she kept every year, he watched his favorite movie 'The Family Man' one last time with his beloved daughter and closed his eyes — a true family man," and added, "Mr. Young Dae was a father and husband who knew the value of the most precious things in life, and a son and older brother."
Ahn Hyun-mo did not forget the deceased's achievements. She said, "A music critic and writer who was unparalleled in popular culture criticism and communication," and expressed regret, "There was so much more she could have shown and told us…" She prayed, "May she be surrounded by the people she wanted to see in heaven, freely listen to heavenly music, and when we all meet again, please tell us all the stories from the time apart."
Finally, she left a heartfelt farewell, saying, "You always called me your best friend, but I fell short; I sincerely reflect on that, and I will remember, miss and mourn the late Kim Young Dae forever. Rest peacefully without any worries…"
Meanwhile, Kim Young Dae passed away on the 24th.
Born in 1977, Kim Young Dae graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in business administration and completed doctoral studies in ethnomusicology at the University of Washington in the United States. She began her activities in the mid-1990s writing about music on PC communications services Nownuri and Chollian, and communicated steadily with music fans as a popular music critic, broadcast panelist and podcast host. With deep analysis and clear language she traced the flow of popular music, including K-pop, and was called the "national K-pop critic."
She contributed music columns to U.S. outlet Vulture, MTV's official channel and others, and served as a selection committee member for the Korean Music Awards and as a judge for the MAMA Awards, exerting influence across the music industry. In particular, through the podcast "Rolling Pot" she explored artists, genres and industry contexts in depth, receiving strong responses from listeners. Through various broadcasts and lectures she lowered the barrier to music criticism while also establishing herself as the K-pop critic most trusted by foreign media.
After Psy's "Gangnam Style" became a global hit in 2012, she analyzed the K-pop phenomenon from multiple angles and introduced those analyses to domestic media, and during BTS's first Billboard Music Awards win in 2017 and their first performance at the American Music Awards, she received strong responses for her deep and sharp interpretations and explanations.
She uploaded videos to YouTube until just days before the death news was reported, and even hours before her death she released an episode of the AMPLIFIED podcast on which she was a regular, leading to reactions that the news was unbelievable and heartbreaking. Moreover, on the 24th she posted on her account, "'The Songwriters' has been selected as Kyobo Bookstore's choice of the day. Thank you. #TheSongwriters #Munhakdongne #KyoboBookstore #choiceoftheday." The Songwriters is a book written by critic Kim Young Dae.
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